CECILIA BRAEKHUS
“I am very, very disappointed. A fight against Holly would have been the biggest thing in women´s boxing, the one fight every fan wants to see. It´s a shame that it will not happen – but it´s not our fault. We´ve done all we could. I have always said that I was willing to fight her, I have always been ready for her. My team has worked very hard to organise the fight. We removed all the stumbling blocks. We were even willing to go to her backyard. And when she has to chance to give the fans what they want to see, she retires. Really, I don´t know what to say. It´s a pity and I´m disappointed. I will now shift my focus to other challenges, there are a lot of other interesting options for me. One thing I know for sure – true champions do not run away from mega-fights.”

NISSE SAUERLAND:
“We are disappointed to hear that Holly Holm has retired from boxing. She is one of the all-time greats. She deserves respect for what she has done for women´s boxing. It´s sad that a great career ends like this – now she will always be remembered for running away from Cecilia Braekhus, the best female fighter in the world.

“If Holly Holm still had the heart, pride and skills to compete at the highest level, there is no way she would have passed on the biggest payday of her career. We have offered her a six-figure sum. But with this offer on the table, she calls it a career and decides to fight in MMA – for a fraction of that money. That just tells you all about how scared she is to fight Cecilia. The horrible knock-out loss against Anne-Sophie Mathis – a fighter Cecilia outclassed last September – must have changed something inside Holly. She knows she can´t beat Cecilia.

“We wish Holly all the best for her retirement. Meanwhile, Cecilia has other options against fighters who are courageous enough to challenge the best female fighter in the world. That´s how you cement a legacy, by fighting the best of the best, not by retiring when you have the chance to be part of a fight every boxing fan wants to see.”